Page 72 of Hero's Heart

Sloane glanced over at the other woman, concerned they’d gotten her into trouble, but she just rolled her eyes.

“I keep telling him we need to hire more people. He’s such a fuddy-duddy.” She slid off the booth seat and stood. “But I guess I should get back to work. What do you guys want to eat?”

She took their orders and headed back to the kitchen.

Eva grinned at her. “Don’t let Joy overwhelm you. She means well, but she can be a lot.”

Sloane shook her head. “No, it’s nice. I’m not very outgoing, so maybe I need someone like her.”

A few minutes later, their food arrived, and the conversation shifted to other topics. Eva regaled them with a story about Callum’s brief stint swimming with skinny-dipping senior citizens to avoid writing them tickets for trespassing. How he’d gotten a cramp and nearly drowned—the older people had to drag him out of the water.

Sloane giggled behind her hand, utterly charmed by the thought of the man who’d rescued her with such self-reliance all waterlogged and spluttering amid the retirees. She found herself hungry for any little glimpse into his life, a story like that painting him in colors beyond just the stalwart man she knew.

It made him feel more real, more human. Flawed and funny and achingly relatable.

“What about his wife?” she asked tentatively, between bites. “Amelia. Did you know her at all?”

She probably shouldn’t even bring Amelia up, but ever since she’d found out she was pregnant, Sloane hadn’t been able to get the other woman out of her mind.

Annie and Eva exchanged a surprised glance, clearly taken aback that Sloane was privy to that history.

“No, she passed before Callum moved here,” Annie said carefully. “From what little he’s shared, it was a difficult time. Losing her, especially so quickly, changed him. But coming to Oak Creek…I think it helped him heal, in a way. Gave him a new purpose.”

Sloane nodded, trying to imagine the weight of that grief. How it must have shaped him, the scars it had left behind.

What would finding out he was going to be a father do to Callum? Knowing it would never be Amelia he had a child with. Would he always feel about their child the way William felt about Sloane—that she was never truly good enough? Never really part of the family?

The thought made the food Sloane was eating turn to sawdust in her mouth. She set down her fork, unable to eat another bite.

Annie couldn’t possibly know what Sloane was thinking, but the older woman reached across the table and grabbed her hand. “Callum is a good man. And yes, he loved Amelia, but her death was a long time ago. Give him a chance. Give it all some time.”

Eva didn’t know what they were talking about, but she still nodded encouragingly.

“Okay,” Sloane whispered.

“And in the meanwhile, you focus onyou,” Annie continued. “Seeing to your needs.”

She was right. Sloane picked up the fork and took another bite of the chicken she’d ordered. She needed to keep calories in her system for the baby.

The three of them talked some more, but Sloane found herself keeping an eye on Joy as she rushed from table to table. Sloane’s brain kept coming back to something Joy had said. After they finished eating and the talkative woman came back and cleared their plates, Sloane finally got up the nerve to ask.

“Do you think Hudson might be hiring?”

Joy’s face lit up. “Oh my God, yes! Why? Are you interested?”

Sloane shrugged. “Yeah. I don’t have any experience waiting tables. But I worked as a grocery store cashier in high school and have spent the past several years as a…personal assistant. So, I think I could handle it.”

She looked over at Annie to make sure the doctor thought that was a good idea and found her nodding enthusiastically. Good, so this was safe for the pregnancy.

“Definitely!” Joy beamed. “I know for a fact Hudson would hire you. He’s sometimes a grump, but working here is pretty great. And we really do need help. I’m working way more shifts than I want.”

“Joy has dreamed of opening her own food truck for years,” Annie explained.

Joy bounced from foot to foot. “Ever since I was in high school! I’ve got the truck, just need to get everything planned out. So, you working would mean I wouldn’t need to take quite so many shifts.”

Sloane smiled. A job here, surrounded by these people, felt like a step toward building a life she could be proud of. “Okay, I’ll talk to Hudson soon.”

“Perfect! I’ll let him know you’re interested and that you’ll be coming by.” The other woman half danced, half walked the dishes back to the kitchen.

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